Mumbai, Sep 6 – NCP MLC Amol Mitkari has retracted his earlier comments questioning IPS officer Anjana Krishna’s educational and caste certificates, which were pivotal for her success in the UPSC examinations. The controversy began when Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar confronted Krishna, the sub-divisional police officer of Karmala, via phone, urging her to halt actions against illegal soil excavation.

The situation escalated when a video of Pawar’s reprimand went viral, prompting backlash. On Friday, Pawar clarified that his intention was not to interfere but to de-escalate the situation. Mitkari had previously tweeted seeking information from the UPSC regarding Krishna’s credentials, which drew criticism from NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule and Congress leader Yashomati Thakur, who condemned the targeting of the female police officer.

In a statement on Saturday, Mitkari expressed his respect for the police force and clarified that his comments did not reflect the party’s stance. He stated, “This was not my party’s position. It is my personal view. I have the highest respect for our police force and the officers who serve honestly. I completely agree with the position of the party’s senior leadership.” He also announced his decision to retract the tweet related to the Solapur incident and issued an apology.

The incident in question occurred on August 31, when Krishna and revenue department officials arrived at Kapre Wasti in Solapur district to address illegal soil excavation activities. The video, broadcast by Marathi news channels, depicted Krishna initially unaware of Pawar’s identity during their phone conversation, which later transitioned to a video call where he sternly instructed her to cease actions against the excavation of ‘murrum’ soil.